Building construction



Dec, 16, 1924.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1v H. M. KNIGHT BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 10 1921 ull'l i I m5 F l-, :4.

H. M, KNxGH-r BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. lOI 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES HERBERT M. KNIGHT, OF MQNTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed August 10, 1921. Serial No. 491,228.

To all whom t may cm1/cern Y Be it known that I, HERBERT M. KNIGHT, citizen of the United States, and resident of Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Building Construction, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to buildings and l0 has special application to buildings of cellular type of unit construction in which the units are connected together by keys.

One of the objects of this invention is to produce a cellular type of unit construction. Another object of the invention is to produce a cellular type of unit construction in which the several units are connected together by keys. Another object of the invention is to produce a cellular type of unit construction, the exterior of which can be veneered. A further object of the invention is to produce a cellular type of unit construction in which the units are connected to the reinforcement of a poured concrete frame. Still another object of the invention is to produce a cellular type of unit construction in which the units are connected together by keys which are intel-locked with the reinforcement of a poured concrete frame. Another object of the invention is to produce a cellular type of unit construction in which a poured concrete frame can be introduced Without the necessity of building a forming to retain the said mass concrete frame. A further object of the invention is to produce a cellular type of unit construction, in which the units are keyed to the reinforcing members of a poured concrete frame, said concrete of said frame entering key-Ways in said units.

Still other objects of the invention will appea-r from the following description and from the accompanying drawings.

' The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred and usual embodiment of the invention, but they are to be considered as illustrative only and not as inclusive of all'v types in which the invention may be embodied nor as exclusive of types other than that indicated.

I illustrate my invention by the accompanying` drawings Figs. 1 to 13, inclusive, in which Fig. 1 is a horizontal section of a corner of such a building having veneered face Walls, on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2; Fig.

2 is a vertical cross-section of such a Wall on the line 2--2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the corner of a building of this construction Without veneer-ing, on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4;; Fig. t is a vertical section of such a wall on the line 1 -4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the corner of a building, the interior and exterior wall slabs of which are at considerable distance apart, on the line 5-5 of Fig. 6; Fig. 7 is a horizontal section showing an intermediate joint for both outer and inner wall-slabs; Fiv. 8 is an isometric View of the back of a wa l-slab; Fig. 9 is an isometric view of the back of a wall-slab of a slightly diferent form, in which the ribs are sh0rtened and apertures left in the thickened edges; Fig. 10 is an isometric View of a corner of a building of this type of construction; Fig. 1l is a plan view of the particular form of key employed, on the line ll-ll of Fig. 12; Fig. 12 is an elevation of such a key on the line 12-12 of F ig. 11 and Fig. 13 is a plan view of an elbow key of the same general form. Referring to the drawings in which similar numbers refer to similar parts. A. cellular wall is composed of an inner unit l and an outer unit 2 connected by a key 3. The inner and outer units respectively are superimposed either directly upon each other or upon an intervening floor slab 4. Shoulders 5 are cast upon thc recessed back 6 of the various units and elongated bolt holes 7 pass through the said shoulders. Bolts 8 are inserted in the said bolt holes having washers 9 with elongated slots 10 therein and nuts 11 on said bolts brought into contact with the slotted washers resting upon the shoulders fastens the superimposed units together. Re-entrant grooves 12 are cast in thel faces and ends of the units and keys 13, of the mallet type are cemented into the adjacent and juxtaposed re-entrant grooves. The keys have a head 14 with circumferential grooves 15 therein and are connected by a shank 16 to an arbor 17 having a bore 18 therethrough adapted to partially or entirely surround a reinforcing bar or member 19 and having a serrated edge 20. Nut housings 21 are cast in the back of the units being wit-hin the depressed back thereof, and are adapted to hold nuts and washers 1n positions, otherwise inaccessible, during the assembling of the units. findows 22 are left in the body of the units for the insertion of the bolts after the un'ts have been assembled. Positioning depressions 23 and plugs 2li for immediately and accurately positioning the units,l are cast in to the thickened edges thereof. Dogs 25 drop into the depressions 23 for the initial alining and holding of the adjacent units. Attachment means 26 are cast in the back of the units for attachment to reinforcing bars 27. Horizontal ledges 28 and vertical ribs 29 are cast in the back of the units, adapted to sustain a means 30 of retaining mass concrete.`

A mass concrete frame 3l, adapted to surround the keys and reinforcing` members and to be confined by the means 30, is poured at determined vertical and horizontal joints. Apertures 32 are left in the thickened edgesf33 for access to bolt holes and washers. Ribs 34 are cast on the back of outer units and engage headers 35 of a veneer 36. insulating media 37 is introduced between 'outer and inner units to prevent conductivity of heat and condensation of moisture upon the interior units. Voids 38 are'left in the floor slabs for the passage of the mass concrete frame.

One of the greatest defects in a building. the walls of which are of concrete is cause( by the porosity of the concrete, which allows a certain, and often a considerable amount of moisture to percolate througli the shell or the dividing ribs making the interior of the building damp, and undesirable for residential or commercial purposes. Many types of concrete construction, both mass and cellular, have been devised' with the object in view of remedying this defect, but such, solid construction, and often of such arrangement of the constituent elements as to be structurally weak and unsafe. This 1nvention seeks to meet and overcome these difficulties by means of a unit type of structure in which no element is continuous from interior to exterior, and in which the units are severally united, and at the saine time locked to an interior reinforce-d frame. This form of construction produces a dry vbuilding into which moisture cannot seep from Without, and a structure so bound and. connected together as lto be structurally sound and strong.

Pre-cast reinforced concrete slabs or units r' have thickened edges, in the faces and edges of which are cast re-entrant grooves, these reentrant grooves being variously located, but .in all instances so that, when the units shall have been assembled in their place of final location, the grooves of juxtaposed edges shall be in alignment and adapted to the insertion of a key which partially fills and is finally cemented into the groove. Shoulders are cast on the rear of the thickened edges and elongated holes pei-forato the either in Whole or in part, are ofsaid edges, being adapted to the insertion of a holt. ln the assembling of the various units either vertically upon each other or above each other with an interposed iloor slab between, said floor slab being perforated with an elongated hole, the several elongated holes in the wall units, o-r in the floor and wall units are assembled in registration and bolts inserted in the said holes having nuts thereon which are brought into contact with was-hers having elongated holes therein, and which rest upon the shoulders upon the thickened edges ofthe wall units. The bolts therefore fasten the wall units and the oors and units together along the horizontal joints.

The thickened edges are cha-infered on their back corners. By the thickening of the edges of the units a depressed back or recession is formed upon the rear of the unit. The only point of contact between the units which constitute the interior and exterior faces of the cellular walls are the thickened edges, which in the process of assembling are separated sufficiently to permit the introduction of a thin insulating medium between the said thickened edges. fr projecting rib is cast on the back o1' .the unit, just back of the chamfered corners or the thickened edges, the purpose of such rib being to form a rest, either vertical or horizontal, for a thin board or plate which acts as astop for mass concrete poured as a strengthening frame within the cellular units, both in a vertical and horizontal direction. It is at once evident that a closed forni is constituted by the abutting thickcned edges, the recessed backs of the wall units and the thin board resting against or upon the projecting ribs 23 and 29, into which mass concrete can be poured toconstitute a frame. Reinforcing1ne1nbers,both vertical and horizontal, are embedded in this mass concrete and attaching means, cast in the wall units are wrapped around, or othern Wise of the frame, thereby uniting the. unitsand the frame reinforcement. and the units and the frame.

lVhile in the case of wall units in close contact a simple form of key, such as the dumb-bell illustrated, is employed',l when the thickness of the wall is increased so that the units occupy a smaller portion of the cross-section of the wall, a modified type of key becomes desirable, and one which joins the units of wall to the reinforcement of the frame, and to each other. This moditied type of key consists of a head adapted'to loosely fit within the re-entrant grooves, a shank, either of rectilinear or elbow form, connecting the head and an arbor, and an arbor adapted to partially or entirely sur.

round a reinforcing member of the strength-` ening frame. The head is provided with fastened to, the reinforcing members used for this purpose.

encircling .circumferential grooves which increase the adhesion between the key and the surrounding mortar Within the re-entrant grooves. The keys are run upon the frame reinforcing bar so that theyyconnect adjacent units in alternation, that is, while all of the keys from contiguous units are located upon the same reinforcing bar, the keys from the various units alternate in their position on the reinforcing member. This results in rempty spaces being left in the several re-entrant grooves between the consecutive keys in the same groove, and concrete, poured to make up the frame enters the unoccupied spaces of the grooves and also surrounds the heads and shanks as well as the arbors of the keys, tying the entire structure together. It is apparent that, as a result of the process, details and attachments above enumerated, a. unit type of construction is produced which is firmly and completely united, through the mass concrete of the frame filling' the unoccupied spaces of the re-entrant grooves and surrounding the arbored keys connecting the wall units to the frame reinforcement, together with the attachment of the said wall units `directly to the` frame reinforcement, to secure a practically monolithic concrete structure.

Interior, as well as exterior, walls may be constructed of pre-east units in multiple, set back to back and connected by keys cemented in position. These units may be very thin and often have to be located far enough apart to admit of ducts, flues .or pipes passing therethrough, in which case a shanked key, similar to the key employed with exterior units is used, except that a double-bulbed instead of a single bulbed head is used.

Due to the roughness of the exterior superficies of the wall units, and to the presence. and appearance of the joints separating the units, it is often desirable to veneer or otherwise treat the exterior of the assembled slabs, in order to secure a more pleasing or unbroken surface, and a` brick veneer is often In order to strongly unitel this veneer to the body of the unit and of the structure, the exterior wall units are reversed in their position in the wall, the smooth face of the exterior wall unit being turned inward and constituting one face of the cell. The recessed back is ribbed horizontally, and, vertically if desired, the brick courses being supported by and tied by headers to the horizontal ribs. By this means the veneer and the body of the building are united thoroughly and the weight of the veneering carried through the units to the foundations.

In the assembling of the various units making up a structure of the character described, it is highly desirable that the locating and positioning of the various units should be made quickly and accurately, and, with this object in view the lower of the units as assembled is provided with sockets or indentations in the thickened edges thereof adapted to receive pins, either inserted therein, or projecting from the edges of the units to be superimposed upon the lower unit. Such sockets-and pins immediately and accurately locate the several units in position. In addition, the sockets serve to receive the teeth of dogs which temporarily hold the units during the insertion of the keys and during the pouring of the concrete of the strengthening frame.

l/Vhat I claim is l. In a building, pre-cast outer wall units, pre-cast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, 11e-entrant grooves in said thickened edges, said grooves in the juxtaposed faces .of adjacent units being in alinement and keys in said alined grooves.

In a building', pre-cast outer wall units, pre-cast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said thickened edges, keys in said grooves and positioning means in said edges.

3. In a building, pre-cast outer wall units, pre-cast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said thickened edges, keys in said grooves,

said grooves in the juxtaposed faces yof adjacent units being in alinement, keys in said alined grooves and positioning means in said edges. 4

et. in a building, pre-cast outer wall units, pre-cast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, ref-entrant grooves in said thickened edges, keys in said grooves, said grooves in the juxtaposed faces of adjacentunits being in alinement, keys in said alined grooves, positioning socket-s in the edges of said outer wall units and positioning' sockets in the edges of said inner wall units.

'ln a building, supporting pre-cast wall units, superimposed pre-cast wall units, thickened .edges to said units, positioning sockets in one of the edges of said units and positioning' pins in the abutting edges of other units, said sockets and said pins registering.

6. In a building, a multiple of pre-cast wall units, thickened peripheral edges to `said units, re-entrant grooves i-n said edges and vertical ribs and horizontal ledges on the back face of said units.

7. In a building, a multiple of pre-cast wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said edges and means attaching to reinforcing members on the back of said units.

8. In a building, a multiple of pre-cast wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said thickened edges, shoulders to said edges, perfora- Al t) Cil tions through said thickened edges troni said shoulders and apertures in said unit and ab ce said pertorations.

9. In a building, a multiple of pre-cast wall units, thickenedperipheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said thickcned edges, shoulders to said edges, perforations through said thickened edges from said shoulders, apertures in said unit above said perorations and nut housings below said pertorations.

10. ln a building, a multiple ot pre-cast wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said thickened edges, said grooves in the juxtaposed 'faces of adjacent units being in alinenient, keys in said grooves, positioning ineans in said edges, vertical ribs and horizontal ledges on the back tace ot said units, reinforcement attachment means, shoulders to said edges, pertorations through said edges 'frein said shoulders and apertures in said units and above said pertorations.

11.111 a building, supporting pre-cast wall units, superimposed pre-cast wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said thickened edges, shoulders to said edges and per- 'forations through said edges and troni said shoulders, said pertorations in said supporting and said superimposed wall units registering.

12.111 a building, supporting pre-cast wall units, superimposed pre-cast wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said thickened edges, shoulders to said edges, pertorations through said edges and troni ..1 id shoulders and means tjfing'said supporting units and said superimposed nuits together.

13.111 a building, supporting pre-cast wall units, superimposed pre-east wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said thickened edges, shoulders to said edges, pertorations through said edges and troni said shoulders and bolts passing through said pertorations and abutting upon said shoulders.

14. ln a building, pre- 'ast outer wall units, pre-cast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said thickened edges, said grooves in the juxtaposed faces of adja-v cent units being in aline1nent keys in said alined grooves, and a inassY concrete strengthening` traine between, and in contact with said units.

15.111 a building, pre-cast outer wall units, ho 1izontal supporting means on the backs ot said wall units, pre-cast inner wall units, horizontal supporting i'neans on the backs of said wall units, said supporting ineans on said outer wall units and said snpi porting ineans on said inner wall units be'- ing in the same plane, a conli'ning torni resting upon said supporting ineens of said outer and inner wall units and a niass concrete girder between said units and upon said conlining torni.

16. 1n a building, pre-cast outer wall units,`thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said edges, horizontal ledges on the back faces of said outer wall units, pre-cast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-enn trant grooves in said edges, horizontal ledges on the back `faces ot said inner wall units, said ledges on said outer wall units and said ledges on said inner Wall units bein g in the saine plane, acontining :torni resting upon said ledges ot' said outer and inner wall units and a mass concrete girder between said units and upon said confining torin.

17.1n a building, precast outer Wall units, vertical projections on the backs ot said outer wall units, pre-cast inner wall units, vertical projections on the backs of said inner wall units, said outer wall units and said projections on said inner wall units being in the saine plane, conlining forins resting against said projections from said outer and inner wall units and a mass concrete colunin between said units and between said confining forms.

18.111 a building, pre-cast outer wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said edges, vertical ribs on the back faces ot said outer wall units, pre-cast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said edges, back Jfaces ot said inner wall units, said ribs on said outer wall units and said ribs on said inner wall units being in the saine plane, confining 'forms resting against said ribs troni said outer and inner wall units and a inass concrete column between said units and between said conlining forms.

19. In a building, pre-cast outer wall nuits, horizontal supporting ineans on the hacks ot said wall units, vertical projections on the backs of said outer wall units, precast inner wall units, horizontal supporting means ou the backs of said inner wall units, vertical projections on the backs ot said inner wall units, said supporting means' on said outer wall units and said ,supporting nieans on said inner wall units being in the saine plane, said projections trom said outer wall units and said projections from said inner wall units being in the saine plane, a confining forin resting upon said supporting ineans of said outer and said inner'wall units, conlining torins resting against said projections troni said outer wall units and said inner wall units and a mass concrete strengthening :traine between said units and upon and within said conlining forms.

20. ln a building, precast outer wall saidy projections on vertical ribs on the units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said edges, horizontal ledges on the back faces of said `outer wall units, vertical ribs on the back faces of said outer wall units, pre-cast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said edges, horizontal ledges on the back faces of said inner Wall units, vertical ribs on the back faces of said inner wall units, said ledges on said outer wall units and said ledges on said inner wall units being in the same plane, said ribs of said outer wall units and said ribs of said inner wall units being in the same plane, a confining form resting upon said ledges of said outer and inner wall units, confining forms resting against said ribs from said outer Wall units and said inner wall units and a mass concrete strengthening frame between said units and upon and within said confining forms.

21. In a building', pre-cast outer wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, shoulders to said edges, perforations through said edges from said shoulders, precast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, shoulders to said edges, perforations through said edges from said shoulders and a pre-cast floor slab with apertures in said slab between said outer and inner wall units.

22. In a building, supporting pre-cast outer wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, perforations through said edges, superimposed pre-cast outer wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, perforations through said edges, said perforations through said edges of said supporting and said superimposed units being in al'inement, supporting pre-cast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, perforations through said edges, superimposed pre-cast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, perfora tions through said edges, said perforations through said edges of said supporting and said superimposed inner Wall units being in alinement, a pre-cast iioor slab resting upon said supporting outer and inner wall units and beneath said superimposed outer and inner wall units, apertures through said floor slab in alinement with said perforations through said edges of said outer wall units and with said perforations throughl said edges of said inner wall units, means tying said supporting and superimposed outer Wall units and said floor slab and other means tying said supporting and superimposed inner wall units and said floor slab.

23. In a building, supporting pre-cast outer wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, perforations through said edges, superimposed pre-cast outer wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, perforations through said edges, said perfor-ations through said edges of said supporting and superimposed units being in alinement, supporting' pre-cast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, perforations through said edges, superimposed pre-cast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, perforations through said edges, said perforations through said edges of said supporting and said superimposed inner wall units being in alinement, a pre-cast floor slab resting upon said supporting outer and inner wall units and beneath sai-d superimposed outer and inner wall units, apertures through said floor slab in alinement with said perforations through said edges of said outer wall units and with said perforations through said edges of said inner wall units, means tying said supporting' and said superimposed outer wall units and said Hoor slab, other means tying said supporting and superimposed inner wall units and said floor slab and a mass concrete girder between said outer and inner supporting Wall units and said outer and inner superimposed wall units and passing' through said apertures in said floor slab.

24. In a building, pre-cast outer wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, inner pre-cast Wall units, means tying said outer and inner wall units together, ledges on the outer face of said outer wall units and a veneer facing', exterior to said outer wall units and tied to said ledges.

25. In a building, pre-cast outer wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, pre-cast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, means tying said outer and inner wall units together, ledges on the Outer face of said outer wall units, a pre-cast floor slab projecting beyond said outer wall unit and a veneer facing resting upon said floor slab and tied to said ledges.

26. In a building, pre-cast outer wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said edges, precast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said edges, a mass concrete frame between said outer and inner units, reinforcing bars in said frame, keys in said grooves of said outer Wall units, and other keys in said grooves of said inner wall units, said keys to said outer wall units and said keys to said inner wall units being connected to and slidable upon said reinforcement and embedded in said frame.

27. In a building, pre-cast outer wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said edges, precast inner wall units, thickened peripheral edges to said units, re-entrant grooves in said edges, a. mass concrete frame between said inner and said outer units, reinforcing bars in said frame, keys in said grooves of said outer Wall units and other keys in said grooves of said inner wall units, said keys to said outer wall units and said keys to said inner wall units being connected to and slidable upon the same bar of the said frame and embedded in the concrete of the said frame.

28. In a building, pre-cast wall units, comprising a central slab, thickened peripheral upper edges to said slab constituting flanges, side flanges to said slab depending downward from said upper flange and terminating above the lower edge o said slab, vertical ribs depending from said upper flange and terminating above the bottom edge of said slab and bottom lianges to said units terminating inside the vertical edges of said slab.

29. ln a building, the combination of inner and outer pre-cast units, re-entrant grooves in said units, keys in said grooves said keys being slidably connected to a reinforcing member of a strengthening frame, horizontal ledges and vertical ribs cast in the back of said units, a confining means supported by and in contact with said ledges and ribs and a mass concrete frame within said units and said confining means surrounding said keys and said reinforcement and entering said grooves.

30. In a building, the combination of inner and outer pre-cast units, producing a cellular type of constructionhaving thickened edges, shoulders on the back of said edges, perforations through said shoulders and said edges, washers with apertures therethrough in contact with said shoulders, such perforations and apertures being in registration, bolts in said registering perforations and apertures, windows in the body of said units above said perforations, nut housings on the back of said units beneath said perforations, grooves in said units, keys in said grooves, reinforcing members within said cellular construction, said keys being slidably connected to said reinforcing members, horizontal ledges and vertical ribs on the back of said units, conlining means lsupported by and in contact with said ledgesJ and ribs, attachment means projecting from the back of said unit and attached to said reinforcing member and a mass con crete frame within said units and said conlining means, surrounding said keys and said reinforcing members and entering said grooves.

31. ln a building, the combination oi inner and outer pre-cast units, producing a cellular type of construction, having thick ened edges, shoulders on the back of said edges, perforations through said shoulders and saidy edges, washers with apertures therethrough in contact with said shoulders, said perforations and apertures being in registration, bolts in said registering perforations and apertures, windows in the body of said units above said perforations, nut housa ings on the back of said units beneath said perforations, re-entrant grooves in sai units, keys in said grooves, re-inforcing members within said cellular construction, said keys being slida-bly connected to said reinforcing members, horizontal ledges and vertical ribs on the back of said units, con fining means supported byiand in contact with said ledges and ribs, attachment means projecting from the back of said unit and attached to said reinforcing member and a mass concrete frame within said units and said confining means, surrounding said keys and said reinforcing members and entering said grooves.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York this ninth day ofl August A. D. 1921.

HERBERT M. KNIGHT. 

